Arches National Park

I knew that we wouldn't have time to spend a full day in Moab as we drove back from Santa Fe. The timing ended up working perfectly however because we left Santa Fe early enough on Wednesday to get into the park by 330 or so and spent a few hours there. We were able to do a small hike (boy was it hot!) and see quite a bit of the park. We saw Balanced Rock, Landscape Arch, Tunnel Arch, and Delicate Arch.
By then, it was time to call it a day and we got dinner in Moab. On Thursday morning we got up early and hit a few of the sights we had missed from Wednesday. Hiking around was much better because it was a good 20 degrees cooler than the evening before. We saw Turret arch, Double arch, and two called the North and South Windows.
Noah is the best at spotting wildlife, and it was no exception while we were at Arches. In addition to the normal lizards and deer that can be found around there, he'd been talking about wanting to find a scorpion all week, and finally, he did!

Sandia Peak

Yesterday, we drove from Santa Fe down towards Albuquerque. There is an area that has a tram to the top of some mountains known as the Sandia mountains. We went up with a picnic lunch and enjoyed the views of New Mexico from 10,000 feet. It was only 70 degrees at the top (compared with 95 down at the base) but that sun was sooo strong! There were some great hikes that Noah and I were wishing we could have done, but our schedule was packed and we had to head back down sooner than we would have liked. Here are a few photos:

Road Trip!

Noah and I have spent the past two days driving through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and finally into New Mexico! Our truck is very comfortable to road trip in, but 24 hours of driving in two days feels like quite a lot no matter how good the company or how easy the drive. So, we arrived yesterday afternoon with enough time to check out the beautiful house we are staying in, do some grocery shopping, and enjoy a wonderful dinner with my dad and his wife. After a good night's sleep, we were ready to celebrate my birthday and Father's Day by wandering around downtown Santa Fe! I'll update this post and include some photos when we get home.
Building in downtown Santa Fe
The back patio of my Aunt's house. The property also has a 270+ degree view of Santa Fe.
Happy 27 to me!

A Word to the Wise

Package of tealites + car + 80 degree weather = disaster

I don't think that "Word to the wise" is quite the right thing to say because a wise person would not have done what I did this week.

Last Sunday, I had some time to kill with a friend as we waited to hear baby news from another friend in labor. We decided to go to Ikea because I needed some curtains for our living room and I got a few other non-essentials as well.

To make a long story short, baby Caleb made his way into the world, and in the excitement of seeing him for the first time at the hospital, as well as a very busy week, I forgot all about my purchase and it remained in the back seat of the car.

Well, at least until my sister-in-law jumped into the back of the car yesterday and said, "Uh-oh!" and pointed out that the tea lites had melted and I had sticky green wax all over the back seat. I felt so stupid to have had this happen! Actually stupid is an understatement. Even so, I'm so glad that I have leather seats instead of cloth, and the curtains seemed to have been protected from the green, greasy slime.

On the upside, the tea lites were scented so my car smells great (green apple, I think) and if I can get all the gunk out of the seams, it might do a nice conditioning job on my leather seats.

26 weeks:
Roxanne and me:

Deception Pass

Noah and I thought, "what can we go do on a beautiful Sunday?" After about an hour of tossing around idea after idea, we decided on the two hour drive up to Deception Pass/ Whidbey Island. We spent all our time in the National Park area, just walking around and enjoying the nice weather on the beach. We walked the bridge, hung out at North Beach for awhile and enjoyed the warm sand, then hiked around Rosario Head and Sharp Cove. Here are a few pictures:

First Camping Excursion of the year!

A few weekends ago, Noah and I met up with some friends to camp near the Skykomish River. The 8 of us had a great time exploring, hanging out, making food, and relaxing. Here are a few pics:
The four guys jumped in right here and floated with the current for a bit. It was some of the coldest water I've ever felt and think they are all crazy for braving the icy waters and the strong current. Here's a decent shot of me and Noah and you can tell my belly is starting to really pop out!
Our good friends Joe and Tracy:

Great success!

A fun week!

Weeks left of teaching:

One 4-day week

Two 5-day weeks

One 3-day week

Hooray! I couldn't be more excited. In addition to counting down the days (17) I just can't wait to transition out of teacher life and focus on enjoying the summer, going on a few short vacations, and getting ready for our baby!

Even though I'm excited for the end of school, it hasn't kept me from enjoying work in the meantime. This week, we enjoyed a surprise event where five Seattle Mariner's and the Mariner Moose came to our school for an assembly.

Then, on Thursday, the entire second grade (over 100 kids) went on a field trip to the Woodland Park Zoo. The kids were so cute and just loved seeing all the animals we've learned about over the year.

Unfortunately, I woke up today with no voice and my sore throat worse than it's been all week. So I thought, "what the heck, I might as well use one more sick day since I'll lose my accrual at the end of the year." The nice thing about this was that I got to see Noah for a bit. He's had so much overtime this month, which is great, but sometimes I can't remember the last time I've seen him awake (he comes home about an hour before I have to get up for work, and has been leaving before I get home). Then, Roxanne and Dawn came over and we all got to go to my ultrasound. My doctor originally ordered this extra u/s to make sure our little guy was growing at the right rate after our last ultrasound gave some smaller measurements. They also said they might change my due date if neccessary. After looking, it looks like they are going to keep my due date at September 24th, but based on the baby's size and gestational age, we could be looking at as late as an early October baby... whoa!

Overall, there are no concerns which was wonderful news. We also had the best radiologist today who was so kind and explained to all of us what we were seeing as she looked at the baby. When she couldn't get a good measurement of his head, she had me get up walk around and jump around a little so he would try to get him to move from his previous position. Sure enough, it worked and we got all of the remaining data the doctor needed. Hooray! Cute little baby feet:

Baby BOY Zech!

Well, we were surprised when the radiologist said boy! It is a wonderful feeling to know and it just makes everything more real in this journey.

So, last night, we had a great time calling friends and family and telling them our good news. Every now and then, we'd catch each others eye and and would find ourselves squealing and practically jumping for joy... not only can we look forward to our son being born, but our life as a growing family as we raise him and love him. God is good!

A day at the Spring Fair

I went with two friends to check out the Spring Fair today. Having been to the one in the fall, I figured it would be the same old stuff. And for the most part, it was. It seemed a little less crowded than the Fall Fair and we got a chance to wander around and take in the sights. I decided to bring my camera along... and I'm glad I did.

My Chili Recipe

Alright friends, you can thank me later for this. I've been making chili that was loosely based off of a couple of recipes for awhile now. And whenever I make it, I almost always wing it and I never manage to write down the ingredients, amounts, and directions. So, today, I did my best and here it is. In short, it is adapted from a publication from Crossfit, a workout program that endorses the Zone Diet and their model for optimal nutrition. Since I really love balanced meals with quality protein, carbs and fats, this chili hits all three of these.

My disclaimer: This recipe can be modified in so many ways, and I usually eyeball the ingredients and substitute when needed. I hate measuring things so when possible I just use the entire item or can instead of measuring it out carefully. You can omit and add items as you like, but personally, I like the combination of flavors as I have it below. This recipe is also very healthy in my opinion, but I have certainly added things in the past like sour cream, cheddar cheese, or beef with a higher fat content. So, give it a try. It's not your average or traditional chili, but is heavy on texture and flavor.

In a large frying pan, saute the following:

• 1/2 onion, chopped (comes out to about a cup)
• 2 green peppers, chopped
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1tsp crushed red pepper ( I have subbed tabasco sauce before too)
• 1tbsp + chopped garlic (I use the stuff in the jar when I want to do it quickly... or you can use 3+ cloves crushed and chopped)

Once the peppers start to cook and soften, add:

• 1 to 1.5 lbs lean ground beef

Once it is browned, add:

• 1 can drained black beans
• 1 cup drained kidney beans (1 whole can is a little much for my taste)
• 2 cups tomato sauce (sometimes I use one 8 ounce can tomato sauce and 1 cup mild to med. salsa. You can also substitute canned or fresh diced tomatoes)
• 1 can black olives, sliced (Noah usually sneaks some out of the can first, but afull can makes this chili really heavy on olives, so you decide how much!)

Let boil up, and then simmer for 15 minutes or more. About 10 minutes prior to serving, add:

• Fresh chopped cilantro

Finished product: